Tim Arnold: Another World

A word to the wise: this is the sixth album Tim Arnold has released in the last 18 months. That’s a lot of work and often is a fact that makes some inspired, and more cringe, because quality has been usurped by quantity. That’s true; but not in this instance. Majestic and very soothing, Arnold takes the album to an ethereal height with “If You Could See Hope” which recalls the best Richard Ashcroft song that Ashcroft forgot to record. Just as cozy and folksy is the title track but Arnold ups the ante with the orchestral, Beatles-inspired “Close Enough” which is close enough to perfection as one can hope for. The soft, melodic and melancholic approach might wane on a few but Arnold’s pipes can deliver the goods on “Giving Yourself Away”, which brings Neil Finn’s solo work to mind. Other highlights here are “Chaos and Love” with more string textures and “The Same Things Make Us Cry”.